St. Cecilia Music Center plans to amp up its annual ArtPrize music competition with juried prizes in five categories and an Oct. 4 benefit show featuring ‘The Voice’s’ Joshua Davis.

2014 Winners: Channing & Quinn won the folk/country category in last year St. Cecilia competition. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)

St. Cecilia Music Center will continue to dance the lead in ArtPrize music awards for 2015, organizing busking, reorganizing cash awards and adding a fund-raising concert featuring “The Voice” alum and Traverse City singer-songwriter Joshua Davis.

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Returning to Grand Rapids: Joshua Davis played Fountain Street Church on July 10 and plays a solo benefit show at St. Cecilia Music Center on Oct. 4.

A musician with deep ties to Michigan’s folk and roots music scene, Davis is the headliner for ArtPrize MUSIC – A Benefit for St. Cecilia Music Center, set for 6 p.m. Oct. 4 in the SCMC’s historic Royce Auditorium at 24 Ransom St. SE. Tickets for the reserved seating-only show are $30 and $25. To obtain tickets, call 616-459-2224, go online to scmc-online.org or visit the SCMC box office in person. Davis gained national recognition earlier this year when he became a contestant on NBC’s “The Voice,” a singing competition in which he finished in third place.

The fund-raiser show includes special guests and West Michigan favorites Troll for Trout and Fauxgrass.

As always, ArtPrize attendees will be able to hear and vote for recordings of the 78 musical entries at the 20 listening stations inside SCMC.

In a change to previous years, SCMC has recruited leaders of the West Michigan music scene to lend their critical ears to a new Critic’s Choice Award. Each of the five genres will carry a $1,000 award for the winners of ArtPrize voting and a second $1,000 award for the Critic’s Choice award. This allows for as many as 10 winners in the event. The prizes include studio time at Troll for Trout frontman Michael Crittenden’s Mackinaw Harvest Studios.

Jazz Winner: Roger MacNaughton is a two-time winner of the ArtPrize song contest.

All music award winners will be announced at the Oct. 9 ArtPrize ceremony. SCMC will host its own awards presentation ceremony at 7 p.m. Oct. 15, free with a cash bar.

SCMC will continue its role in coordinating busking stations throughout ArtPrize’s Grand Rapids geography. Busking is slated for Sept. 23-27 and Sept. 30-Oct. 4 at five locations. Hours are 5-8 p.m. weekdays, noon-8 p.m. Saturdays and noon-6 p.m. Sundays.

This is the fifth year that ArtPrize has accepted music entries from songwriters and marks the fourth year that St. Cecilia has presented prizes to winners. Last year’s winners were Kim Mitchell (classical), American WiFi (pop/electronic), Molly Bouwsma-Schultz (rock/blues), Roger MacNaughton (jazz) and Channing & Quinn (folk/country). Read more about those winners in this Local Spins roundup.